


Stained Glass and Stained Souls

by charmedward



Series: Critical Role Rarepair Week 2016 [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, Nightmares, Not Canon Compliant, Sharing a Bed, brief nudity, final chapter has spoilers for episode 58, raven's crest, set during episode 57, the raven queen asks one more thing of vax
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7468305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmedward/pseuds/charmedward
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There is one secret he must keep. One request that will go unmentioned. </p><p>He won’t even tell Vex."</p><p>This is essentially a "what if the Raven Queen had given Vax a task in the communion pool?" fic. And Vax, being the new believer he is, sets out to complete it. </p><p>Spoilers for episode 57.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fate-Touched

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aloysius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aloysius/gifts).



> Written for Critical Role rarepair week! Day 3: M/M pairing
> 
> I've actually got three chapters for this fic because it ballooned out of control due to my love for Vax/Percy. 
> 
> This fic is for Aloysius, who not only betaed it but got me into this ship in the first place. Actually, maybe I shouldn't thank you for that!

Vax dies in the temple of the Raven Queen. Or rather, he is reborn, bathed in the soft light of mid-afternoon, filtered through thousands of shards of coloured glass in the domed ceiling above. Though the light is not strong enough to warm his sodden clothes, he feels it gently caress his cheek before he accepts a robe from a hooded figure and dries himself off. He presses his face into the material under the guise of mopping up the blood. In reality, he is taking a private moment to breathe, to collect himself. He is not the same man that he was but a moment ago.

When he rejoins Keyleth and Pike in the corridor outside, they don’t appear to notice the change. Pike asks after his wellbeing and Keyleth tries to offer some reassurance that he’s still himself, but both have failed to look past the blood on his clothes or the shell-shocked expression on his face. He has been elevated, lifted to great heights. No longer merely the bastard thief son of two worlds, he is a disciple of Death. The champion of a goddess. He…

Has a task to complete.

Pike is staring up at him, eyes wide and concerned. In the sapphire blue of her eyes Vax can almost see a shadow of himself. In that moment, he decides not to tell his friends what else the Raven Queen asked of him. He’ll tell them of his communion in the pool and the newfound belief he has deep in his gut, but there is one secret he must keep. One request that will go unmentioned. 

He won’t even tell Vex.

 

…

 

Later, when they have returned to the Slayer’s Take and settled down for the night, Vax finds himself sat on the edge of his bed. He’s fortunate enough to not have to share his room with anyone and that will make his task tonight easier. It’s not quite midnight yet. The moon he can see from his window, slowly climbing to its apex. Owls call out to each other in the darkness beyond his vision and still Vax waits, patient like the thief he is. He has spent a childhood learning how best to travel unseen and it would be foolish to waste the cover of total night. 

He waits a little longer and then, when he’s satisfied, leaves the building.

The streets of Vasselheim aren’t deserted (even at this hour) but Vax avoids the lively Quadroads and no one pays the sullen half-elf any attention. Besides, it’s not the people of Vasselheim that Vax wants to hide from. He pulls his hood up and hurries on.

When he arrives at Raven’s Crest he considers taking steps to keep to the shadows, knowing that the obsidian walls of the temple are transparent. This thought is entertained only for a moment before Vax squares his shoulders and steps out into the open. Raven’s Crest is the temple of his deity and if Vax is going to serve, he is going to do so with pride.  
He opens the door. Unlike earlier in the day, there’s no one on the other side. Silence rules supreme in the husk of the building that this becomes when left lifeless. Keenly aware of the possibility of echoes, Vax treads lightly into the temple. As he does, a voice – maybe a memory – stirs in his mind.

_There is one more thing, my Champion. One more task I require of you. Return to the communion pool and face what awaits you there._

Vax shivers, recalling the freezing temperature of the pool. He doesn’t like the idea of repeating an ordeal that half-drowned him, however he has faith now. Tender faith, fragile, but it exists nonetheless. 

“What have you got for me this time?” he whispers into the darkness.

_Time, time, time,_ says the echo. 

Resisting the urge to lay a hand on one of his dagger’s hilts, Vax ventures deeper into the temple. He finds his way up the stairs and along the path he walked merely hours ago. When he reaches the final door he pauses. Takes a deep breath. With hands that shake only a fraction, Vax enters the central chamber. 

Percy is standing there. 

Percy, naked, covered in blood, scraping himself clean with his longsword, is standing beside the pool. He hasn’t noticed Vax’s entry, head down as he cleans his legs. There’s no sound but the confused pattering of Vax’s heart, beating loudly as it asks _why? Why is Percy here?_

“Percival,” Vax calls out, voice rough.

With a yelp, Percy jumps and cuts himself with the longsword. His eyes snap up to meet Vax’s, panic clearly written in the expression there. When he recognises Vax he freezes, curses and drops his sword. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Vax says.

He begins closing the distance between them, doing his best to focus on Percy’s face as the other man straightens. Percy winces and shifts his weight onto his good leg, a fresh trickle of blood oozing down his injured thigh. Vax’s eyes snap to it.

“You couldn’t have knocked?” Percy asks with an uncomfortable smile.

Hesitating, Vax moves within reach of Percy. “May I?” He asks, before reaching out and touching Percy’s arm. Percy looks uneasy at the touch but Vax chalks that down to his nakedness. Closing his eyes, Vax draws on the spiritual energy of the temple and focuses on funnelling it into Percy’s form. When he looks down, Percy’s wound has healed.

“You’re full of surprises,” Percy says, breaking the contact and moving over to a pile of clothes.

Vax turns his back to give Percy some privacy. He fights the urge to tell the other man that he isn’t the only one being surprising tonight. Instead he says, “Perks of being the right hand of Death, Percival. Pike gave me some pointers on channelling it, but that was my first successful attempt.”

He hears Percy fumble with his clothes for a few more minutes.

“All right, you can turn around now.”

Vax does and he’s met with a frazzled looking Percy who is wearing everything except his white shirt. This he holds away from his coat. By the dim light of the temple it’s hard to see what colour the shirt is now, but it’s clearly been used to wipe away any excess blood. 

“I can’t wear this,” Percy explains. “It’ll ruin the inner lining of my coat.”

“You’re going to walk through the Duskmeadow bare chested?” Vax asks.

“I’ll button my coat!”

Shaking his head, Vax looks back at the pool. Privately, he wonders if he has a right to ask Percy what he discussed with the Raven Queen. Privately, he wishes Percy would tell him without being prompted.

“Why are you here, Vax?”

Before he can answer a side door creaks open and a woman appears. Vax recognises her by her pointed ears and long, silvery hair. This is the elven woman who led him to communion. 

“You,” Vax says.

Percy is standing right at his shoulder, hand on his gun. His tension is palpable, even as Vax addresses this newcomer. 

The woman comes forward and stops at the edge of the pool. When she speaks, it is to Vax and Vax alone.

“Champion, this way.” She gestures back to the door she entered from.

Vax doesn’t move.

“Who are you?” he demands. “You said I would find answers, but there is still too much that I don’t know.”

Nodding, the woman drops her arm. “My name does not matter today and it will not matter tomorrow. Those of us who serve in this temple do so gladly – and we do it anonymously. Souls that pass into the realm of Death must travel alone, so we cannot be anyone.”

Vax almost regrets asking. When he says nothing, the woman lifts her hand again. Vax looks back at Percy and the gunslinger gives him a small, terse nod.

“He comes too.”

The woman frowns. “He is not permitted. He only made it this far because the lady allowed.” She pauses, as if sensing that this statement does not sit well with Vax. “I will grant him access to our washrooms, however. He can bathe whilst you and I talk.”

It seems like the best that Vax can hope for, so he agrees and waits as Percy is given the directions to the room and told to wait for Vax in the entrance hall when he’s finished. Percy spares him a glance and mutters “Good luck” before exiting the chamber. Vax watches him go.

“Couldn’t have offered me a bath before I left here earlier?” He asks, not unkindly.

“It would have been offered, had you looked as though you could bear to stand another moment inside Raven’s crest.”

Vax turns to the woman. “It’s been a difficult day.”

“Indeed. Please, follow me.”

He follows her out of the central chamber and through a series of passages all made of the same glass. They don’t walk far before the woman stops at a plain looking door and pushes it open. Both the heat and the smell hit Vax even before he enters. It’s the thick, heady smell of incense, not unlike the kind that burns throughout the temple, however here it increases tenfold. Vax can almost feel it in his lungs when he inhales, could swear that the room they go into is blurred around the edges. The heat, whilst not quite sweltering, would likely be uncomfortable after too long. He’s led down the length of the room – which is long and thin and reminiscent of a tunnel. There are no windows. At the far end of the room is a statue about two feet tall, sat upon a low glass table. Vax recognises it as an idol of the Raven Queen. 

The woman sits down on a mat in front of the idol, not facing it, but rather sat with it on her left side. She gestures for Vax to sit opposite her.

“What is this room?” Vax asks, lowering himself.

The woman smiles. “This is the prayer room of the most holy. It is kept only for those who have reached the level of priest in our religion. As the new champion, you may pray here whenever you so wish.”

Vax can’t help but feel that the detail given to that reply was in part an apology for all his unanswered questions. He appreciates it. 

“Do I need to pray to discover why I am here tonight?” 

“No, this step of your journey is one that all champions must face. The Lady of Fates does not need to convey her wishes for this. You must learn to foresee her desires if you are to serve to your full extent.” 

A bead of sweat rolls down Vax’s back. He recalls Pike once saying that she and Sarenrae act largely independently of each other. He had thought to expect the same. 

“What must I do?”

The woman explains to him then the Pilgrimage of Champions, a spiritual and physical journey to a ruined temple no more than a few hours’ ride from Vasselheim. There Vax must go to the lowest level of the ruins and leave behind a vial of his blood as tribute. Doing so will finalise the bond between goddess and champion.

“I can’t leave my party in the middle of the night!” Vax argues. 

“I know this is difficult for you, Champion, but you cannot learn our ways if you do not engage. The journey is not long and could be completed before your friends wake. Have faith; you are the Fate-touched.”

Something about this woman echoing the Raven Queen’s words settles it for Vax. He knows, deep down, that he would not have backed out of this pilgrimage anyway. The protests he make feel like a safety blanket, a shade of his former self trying to be reasonable.

But there’s nothing about this experience that has ever been reasonable.

Vax looks down, flexes his hands. Purses his lips. The decision has already been made. The leap of faith is imminent. 

He looks up. 

“Tell me where to find this temple.”


	2. Ruins of a Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's chapter two! Enjoy.

Percy had been against the idea of stealing horses. He wanted that on record, even as he helped Vax saddle a grey mare whilst her owner snored in a building not fifty feet away. The idea was to return the beasts after their little escapade, but knowing their luck with horses that seemed unlikely.

Still, Percy had little to complain about. He was freshly bathed (had even washed his shirt) and Vax had allowed him to join in on this Pilgrimage of Champions. He half-thinks Vax had agreed only because he knew Percy would follow him regardless, but it feels nice to have permission. It feels nice to be Vax’s friend again. 

If that’s what they are.

The journey to the ruined temple is uncomfortable considering that it’s still pitch black outside and their horses aren’t confident with the terrain. Every few steps they misjudge the ground and stumble slightly, leaving their riders on edge the whole time. Vax and Percy don’t speak to each other during the ride and Percy feels that this too is an improvement. Anything, really, is an improvement from that punch in the face. 

They arrive at their destination after about two hours. Percy can just make out the mouth of a cave set into a low, craggy hill. Vax pulls his horses to a halt outside of it and dismounts.

“This is the place,” he says.

“You’re sure?”

Vax leads his horse to a nearby tree and ties it up with a quick movement. He pulls it tight to check the knot. 

“Surer than you. Don’t bother dismounting; you’re waiting out here with the horses.”

Spluttering, Percy cries, “The hell with the horses, I'm staying with you."

He can feel the colour building in his cheeks and is briefly grateful for the darkness. Dismounting, he leads his horse over to Vax.

“Percival, it might be dangerous in there. You could be cursed for entering, or- or there might be traps!” Vax sounds as though he’s clawing for a reason to leave Percy behind.

It’s painful.

“If it’s as bad as you say, then you’ll need all the help you can get. I promise I’ll be careful, Vax.” 

Vax’s expression is lost in the darkness. Silent, he reaches out and ties Percy’s own horse to the tree. Percy nods - mostly to himself – and they make their way over to the cave.

“Do you have a torch?” Percy asks.

Vax doesn’t, but he does have two pieces of flint and a rag they can tie around a makeshift torch. It doesn’t them long to find a suitable piece of wood. Torch assembled, they peer into the cave. From the outside it looks unexciting. There’s not even a sign or a carving around the entrance to suggest that this is the site of a ruined temple.

Percy takes a step forward and Vax’s arm shoots out in front of him, blocking his way. 

“Let me check for traps,” he says irritably. 

Embarrassed that he’s already forgotten the golden rule, Percy waits patiently as Vax approaches and does his thing. The torch that Vax is using probably doesn’t give him enough light to work properly, but then Percy supposes that Vax is used to working in the dark. Either way, when Vax sounds the all clear, Percy doesn’t worry about triggering anything. 

They enter the cave together, Percy almost brushing against Vax’s shoulder as he struggles to see. 

It’s an empty cave.

“This can’t be right,” Vax says, waving the torch around. “It should be here.”

Percy looks back at the mouth of the cave and wracks his brain for any memory of temples. A thought comes to him.

“If this were my temple and I knew that not everyone favoured my goddess, I would hide it,” he says. 

Ignoring the look Vax is giving him, Percy wonders down to the far wall of the cave. It’s mostly flat, except for one section where a fist sized hole is. He doesn’t know much about traps or thieving, but he’d had gone through a phase of reading mystery novels as a child. Sure enough, when Percy sticks his hand in the hole and pressed down on the inside there’s a grating noise. Withdrawing his hand, Percy watches as a section of the wall big enough to fit a person opens up into a tunnel.

“Percival, you bloody genius!” Vax exclaims.

The praise does wonders for Percy’s ego. With a smug gesture, he motions for Vax to lead the way. Breezing past him, Vax’s wide grin is illustrious in the torchlight. The sight of it makes Percy’s heart thump and he tells himself it’s their adventure that has raised his pulse.

The tunnel exists into a stone chamber at least twice the size of the cave before it. Columns tower above them and every wall as far as the torch shines is carved into intricate designs. Stone tiles encase the floor, many chipped and covered in dust. Percy wishes he knew when this temple last had a human visitor. 

“The woman said I had to go to the lowest level, so keep your eyes peeled for stairs,” Vax says.

“Okay,” says Percy, already moving away.

“And for goodness sake, be careful of traps.”

There’s nothing to do but accept the warning. Even though he’d love to tell Vax that the rogue had done plenty of foolhardy things in his time, Percy can at least acknowledge that Vax’s comments, though prickling, are warranted. 

They spend a few minutes searching the floor as best they can. From what they can tell there are no stairs, nor other chambers in this temple. 

“Could the stairs also be hidden?” Vax asks, making his way over to where Percy stands in the middle of the space, squinting up at the ceiling.

“It’s possible. Have you found anything that looks suspicious?” Percy replies.

Vax looks Percy up and down as he approaches. “Well…”

As Vax comes to stand beside Percy there’s a breathless second of energy in the air. It’s like that feeling of being in a cart and going over a bridge too fast, leaving the ground for a split second before crashing back down again. 

Percy looks down.

The floor gives way under them.

There’s no time to think, no time to scream. Vax and Percy both go crashing into the darkness, their fall broken by numerous shattered tiles and the solid stone that mercifully appears to only be one floor below them. Still, the fall is enough to wind them and certainly more than enough to leave ghastly bruises if nothing worse. 

Percy gets to his feet and checks himself over, noting that nothing seems to be broken. Fortunately, his weapons seem to be unscathed, his back taking the majority of the impact. With the limited vision he has, Percy realises they’ve fallen into a tunnel.

“Vax?”

A low moan comes from somewhere next to him and Percy snatches up the torch from where it lies amongst the rubble. With its assistance he finds Vax lying on his side, curled up and eyes closed. Blood escapes the corner of his mouth.

_“Vax.”_

Percy kneels next to him and takes out a handkerchief, dabbing away the blood and hesitating to do much more. The half-elf’s eyes crack open and he squints at Percy, his pupils adjusting to the torch. Hacking up a terrible sounding cough that’s probably got more to do with the dust than anything else, Vax tries to sit up. Percy reaches out and puts an arm around his shoulder, supporting him.

“Easy, now. Easy,” he murmurs. 

Brushing him off, Vax manages to get to his feet. He leans against the wall and glances up at the hole above them. 

“Not a trap, just a crumbling ruin,” he says. Then, looking at Percy: “Are you okay, Percy?” 

“I’m fine. You’re the one worrying me right now.”

Vax shrugs and gestures for Percy to help him walk. Percy darts forward and puts an arm around Vax again. Wincing, the half-elf takes the torch from Percy.

“If I’m not worrying you, I’m not being myself,” Vax quips.

Snorting, Percy shifts to get a better grip before starting to head down the tunnel. It descends gradually so there’s no question as to which way they should go. They’ve only taken a few steps before Percy realises that Vax probably can’t heal himself with magic as he wasted it on Percy’s cut earlier. In the dark, Percy grimaces.

Eventually the tunnel widens out into a long chamber decorated with mosaics and Celestial script. At the far end of the chamber is an altar, but Vax asks that they take their time in getting there. He’s more interested in the people depicted in the mosaics. They appear to be all races and genders, with nothing in common save massive black wings that protrude from the same piece of armour. Percy translates the Celestial under each piece of art and tells Vax that these are the champions of the Raven Queen. These are Vax’s predecessors. 

“Maybe they’ll update the mosaic for you, one day,” Percy says.

Vax, clearly overwhelmed, says in a quiet voice, “It is more than I ever thought I would achieve.”

There’s nothing Percy can say to that. Instead they make their way over to the altar and climb the few steps to what seems to be an obsidian basin at the top. Cresting up now looking into the basin, both men see the sickening swirl of a liquid that should have dried long ago.

“A basin of blood. I really don’t know what else I expected,” Percy says.

“Seems fitting, right?” Vax says. 

He reaches into the folds of his cloak and pulls out a small vial of crimson liquid. Percy doesn’t need to be told what that is.

“When did you find time to do that?” he asks.

“When you were doing your laundry,” Vax replies.

Passing the torch to Percy, Vax separates himself from Percy’s support and steps forward, up to the basin. He stands silent for a moment, possibly saying a prayer, before removing the cork from the vial and tipping its contents into the bowl.

Nothing happens.

“Did it work?” Percy asks.

Vax turns back to Percy and for a split second Percy thinks Vax’s eyes are red. Then he blinks and it’s just Vax, smiling at him and looking for all the world like he could use a nap. 

“Let’s go, Percival.” 

It’s not too hard for them to find the stairs up to the main level and carefully – ever so carefully – skirt their way along the edges of the first chamber. They head back through the tunnel to the outer cave and as they do they hear noise up ahead.

Breaking out into a run, Percy and Vax reach the mouth of the cave just as a brilliant burst of light explodes out of nowhere and dazzles them. Rolling thunder hits seconds later, the pattering of a downpour filling in any silence.

“The horses!” Vax yells, already dashing out of the cave.

Sure enough, both of the horses are losing their minds with terror. A tree not too far from the one they’re tied to has caught fire and threatens to light theirs too. Vax and Percy run out into the night and together they manage to wrestle both horses into the cave. There’s a solid-looking stalagmite near the back, so they get re-tied there. It’s the best either man can think to do in their current state.

“We’ll just have to wait it out,” Vax says, as if he had been considering anything else.

“Still think we’ll get back before the others wake?” Percy asks. 

Vax doesn’t reply. He busies himself by building a small fire pit near a wall of the cave and placing the torch inside. It won’t be enough to keep them warm once they stop moving, but it’ll keep the fire contained and the space partially lit. Percy takes off his coat and takes a seat near to the fire with his back propped up against the wall. Vax gives him a strange look – and a stranger look too when Percy pats the ground beside him.

“That fire won’t be enough to keep us warm, but sharing my coat will help,” Percy explains.

“Percival, there are boundaries,” Vax begins.

“If your boundaries require you to freeze to death when your friend has a perfectly good coat to share, then you’re an idiot for abiding by them.” 

Vax stares down at him, as though Percy is an ant he’s deciding whether or not to step on. Lightning flashes outside.

“Friend?” he asks, far too quietly. “You have not been my friend since your actions led to _the death of my sister_. Friend! The nerve you have.”

Not liking this unequal balance of power, Percy jumps to his feet. The coat tumbles to the floor but it goes unnoticed by the angry men. Thunder rolls around Percy’s words as he fights to be heard.

“Vex’ahlia forgave me for my mistake. It’s time you did too,” he snaps.

Vax shakes his head like it’s full of water. He spins around and starts pacing, fists clenching and unclenching in rapid succession. He’s a bull, waiting for a moment to charge. A snake in the grass, poised to strike. 

When he does, it’s almost fatal.

Percy draws in breath to say something and Vax snaps. He whirls around and rushes Percy, throwing him up against a wall and pinning him there. The impact knocks Percy’s head and he cries out in shock. Another flash of lightning. Vax’s hands are tightly fisted in his shirt, his face furious but – oddly – his eyes shimmer with unshed tears. 

“How can I forgive you, Percival? _How_? You nearly cost me _everything_ ,” Vax’s voice is raw with emotion. “I turned my back for a moment and I nearly lost the two people I love most. You terrified me, Percy, you _stupid_ man.”

It’s a dagger to the heart. But worse than the actual daggers Vax carries, it’s an emotional one, a metaphorical one. And it just hit home.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Percy almost wants to ask Vax to repeat himself. They’re both shaking, Percy realises then. Vax, still clinging to him, is doing it for support more than anything else. In that moment all of Percy’s angry drains out of him as a wave of understanding hits.

Vax is scared of losing him.

“How could I have known?” Percy whispers, hands reaching up then dropping to his side again, “Vax… Your heart is too big for your chest.”

Vax scoffs and loosens his grip marginally. "How can you say that? I've been a bastard to you ever since you opened that wretched thing.”

He’s not wrong.

“You were trying to distance yourself from me," Percy guesses.

“And it didn't work! When I felt the floor give under us back there I _still_ feared for you… I will always fear for you." 

There’s a lump in Percy’s throat that makes it difficult to talk around. Something about knowing that Vax tried to push away his feelings and still couldn’t… It’s making Percy reassess some things. He wants to reach out, but thinks better of it.

“I don't know what to say to that, Vax." 

Vax releases him and pats Percy’s shirt in an attempt to smooth out the creases. Percy thinks Vax must surely feel his traitorous heart beating beneath. When he’s done fussing, he takes a step back.

“Call me a fool and let’s put this behind us. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Can we be friends again?” 

Like it’s even a question.

“Yes,” Percy says it like a prayer. “Of course.”

“Good.”

After that it seems anticlimactic to take Percy’s coat and drape it over their shoulders as they sit by the fire. It’s still dark outside, but the thunder is already taking longer between rumbles and Percy thinks they won’t have long to wait. Still, he hopes the thunderstorm doesn’t pass too quickly. 

Vax has fallen asleep on his shoulder.

 

…

 

Somewhere around daybreak the storm finally subsides and Percy wakes Vax from his doze. They saddle up and head back to Vasselheim with no problems and plenty of conversation. When they get back to the Slayer’s Take, their party is still asleep.


	3. Demons in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look at that, I got them all up in one day! And it's only just gone 1am by my clock. Read on for the final installment of my first Vax/Percy fic!

It’s the night of the Rakshasa fight, or rather, the early morning of. Percy finds himself wandering the halls of Whitestone in his long johns and a silky robe. The guards – quadrupled at Cassie’s request – look uneasy to see Percy wandering, so he takes the time to assure every group he passes that he simply cannot sleep. They all nod, understanding and pity deep in the lines of their faces. Percy can’t bear it.

There’s something about the castle at night. During the day these same stone walls remind him too vividly of the day they struck down the Briarwoods. At night, the castle belongs to him. He can round a corner without feeling his pulse flare up at the thought of coming face to face with someone (or some _thing_ ). 

Yes, the castle of his waking night is not a place he fears. It’s his sleep that scares him. 

Percy ends up outside Vax’s door with no memory of deciding to come here. There are no guards at this door, Vax probably having dismissed them. Percy stands in the same place that the Gilmore-imposter stood and he considers the idea that this may be inadvisable.

He knocks. 

There’s a pause. For a moment Percy fears that Vax isn’t there, that he’s been killed inside his room, that there was a seventh assassin they’d missed and-

“Who is it?” Vax’s voice breaks Percy out of his panic.

Clearing his throat, Percy replies. “It’s Percy.”

Another silence.

Then the unmistakable sound of a door unlocking rings out and Vax opens the door to him. He looks haggard, wilting. Percy can relate.

Before Vax can say anything Percy speaks up, “It’s me. We travelled to the ruined temple of the Raven Queen last night.”

Vax blinks once. Scrubs his eyes. “Why are you here, Percival? Go to bed.”

Gathering his courage, Percy says, “I was actually hoping I could come in.”

The tired sigh that Vax lets out is telling of just how much he wants Percy to leave, but he steps aside to let him in. When Percy is through the doorway, Vax shuts and locks it. Apparently he’s taking no chances tonight. Percy glances over at the bed and sure enough he can see two of Vax’s daggers on the bedside table, gleaming in the moonlight. 

“You said the other night that you were worried for my safety, even though you tried to push me away,” Percy begins.

Vax drags himself over to the bed and sits on the edge of it, his shoulders slouching forwards. It’s not quite a defensive position, but it’s not far off.

“Does this need to be said tonight?” 

“Please let me finish.” Vax nods. “You said you fear for me. Well, I felt the same way when we fell through that temple floor and I felt the same way tonight when I woke to that cry of ‘assassin’.”

“Percy-”

“I’m not done,” he draws a breath. “This wasn’t the first time that my family was attacked within these walls, Vax. This wasn’t the first time that I had woken up to screams.”

It’s evident from the look on Vax’s face that he hadn’t made this connection yet. His eyes are wide and pained, his brow coming together in a way that Percy doesn’t like to see.

“I don’t mean to be… presumptuous, but could I stay with you tonight? It would really help me.”

Vax nods and whispers something that sounds like “of course” but in reality it’s too hard to hear. He indicates for Percy to take the other side of the bed and fortunately for them it’s big enough for two adults to comfortably share. Dropping his glasses and his earring of telescription on the bedside table, Percy gets under the covers. He lies on his side, his back to Vax and facing the window. Vax copies him, then reaches out and gently touches Percy’s shoulder.

“Good night, Percy.”

“Good night, Vax.”

 

…

 

Percy wakes screaming. He’s curled tight into a ball and his eyes are screwed shut. Heavy breathing rips out of him even as he comes to consciousness. Vax’s hands are strong on his shoulder, his voice a million miles away and difficult to focus on. There’s something else, the crash of a door being broken down and now Vax is yelling at the intruders, telling them to lower their weapons.

_“It’s Percy, it’s your lord! Stand down!”_

Eyes still closed, Percy draws himself in tighter. Vax’s hand is what he tries to focus on, tries to moor himself too. If he can just calm down-

“Percy, listen to me. Open your eyes. It’s all right, no one will harm you.”

Vax’s calming words are enough to persuade Percy to finally open his eyes. When he does, all he sees is blackness; blacker than even a room at night should be. He begins to panic anew, this loss of vision the last thing he needs.

“Percy, dispel your magic,” Vax tells him, voice coming from somewhere behind him. “It’s you, this is just you.”

Sure enough, the obstruction to his vision is no more than Percy’s Hex spell, likely brought on by the stress of a nightmare. Percy concentrates and the magic fades away until he can look over his shoulder and see the blurry image of Vax. Without his glasses it’s difficult to make out details, but he still looks over at the doorway and realises that the door that has been kicked in. Percy fills in the blanks and feels shame at the idea of the guards finding him like this. He rolls over to face Vax.

“I’m sorry,” Percy says.

Vax shakes his head and manoeuvres them both so that Percy is held tightly to him. The protective circle of Vax’s arms is the final thing Percy needs to even out his breathing and drop his head onto Vax’s chest. Vax soothes him gently, with quiet words and a steady hand running up and down his back. Percy thinks he also feels a kiss on the top of his head, but he’s probably imagining it. Probably exhausted.

From the position he’s in now, Percy is able to hear the steady _lub-dub_ of Vax’s heart. It’s a melody he hasn’t heard since he fell asleep in his mother’s arms as a child. He falls asleep to this too, Vax’s arms still protecting him.

 

…

 

When they wake, they do so together. Percy is the first to move, trying to reach his glasses and earpiece without disrupting the limp arms resting on his back. He’s not entirely successful, as Vax shifts and one arm falls to the side. The other stays where it is, even as Percy puts the items on and looks down at his companion. 

“Do you think when Grog and Scanlan spend the night with prostitutes, they struggle to make conversation the next day?” Percy asks.

“Depends,” Vax says with a grin, “which one of us is the prostitute?”

Raising his eyebrows, Percy pushes himself onto the empty side of the bed. It’s cold.

“Thank you for last night,” Percy says, “I appreciate you opening your door.”

Vax chuckles and sits up in bed. “Sounds like I’m the prostitute.” He catches Percy’s eye and his expression softens. “You don’t need to thank me, Percival. I felt better for having you close too.”

Not for the first time, Vax makes Percy blush. He stumbles out something about safety in numbers and gets up to retrieve his robe from the floor. In the back of his mind he’s thinking about their conversation from the other night. Vax had said he _loved_ him. It’s going to take a while to process that. 

Vax is chattering on now, saying something about how they should leave for breakfast at separate time so as to keep their night together a secret. Percy doesn’t need to be told that Vax is covering for him and his cowardly inability to sleep alone. He appreciates that. 

Just as he’s heading to the door to return to his chambers and get dressed, Vax calls out to him.

“Find me again tonight Percival. After the others are asleep.”

Percy hesitates with his back to Vax.

“That is, if you want to.” 

He turns back and sees Vax sitting in the middle of a very large bed, his knees still under the covers and his hair a dishevelled mess. There’s something about that look that holds nothing of Vax’s usual confidence. He doesn’t even seem to be breathing.

Percy is back at the bed in three strides. One hand grabs the bedhead behind Vax and the other tilts Vax’s chin. He waits only a second to see Vax smile before he leans in and kisses him, firm and sweet. 

When they break apart Percy strokes Vax’s jawline with his thumb and says, “I’ll find you tonight.”

He steals one more quick kiss and then he’s leaving the room, shoulders back and walk proud. Percy glides down the corridor like a man cut free of his burdens. Like his soul is lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm planning some more Vax/Percy stuff with the lovely Aloysius, so keep an eye out for that in the future.
> 
> Until then, you're all more than welcome to come talk to be about these disaster children on my tumblr, which is actualkatebishop.tumblr.com


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